1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device that is manufactured by using a liquid containing a silicon compound, an image display, a method of manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device, and a method of manufacturing an image display.
2. Related Art
Photoelectric conversion devices typified by solar cells have attracted increasing attention as an environmentally friendly power supply. Single-crystal silicon solar cells, which are used for e.g. a power supply for an artificial satellite, and solar cells employing polycrystalline silicon or amorphous silicon have been widely used for industrial use and home use.
Typically an amorphous silicon solar cell has a so-called PIN structure in which a light-absorbing layer composed of an intrinsic-type (I-type) semiconductor layer is interposed between a P-type semiconductor layer and an N-type semiconductor layer. The amorphous silicon solar cell utilizes a built-in electric field arising in the I-semiconductor layer to thereby extract the photocurrent and photovoltage from the electrode.
International Patent Publication WO00/59044, which is a first example of the related-art documents, has proposed a method for manufacturing a solar cell at low costs without using large-scale equipment. In the method, a liquid coating composition containing a silicon compound is applied over a substrate to form a coating film, and then the coating film is converted into a silicon film by heat treatment and/or optical treatment. The silicon film is used as a semiconductor layer.
In step with widening of application range of solar cells, needs for characters and graphics to be represented as design on the solar cell part have been increasing. For example, there are needs for a face photograph, name and so on to be represented on an IC card of which entire body is formed of a solar cell.
Some related-art documents disclose methods for representing characters and graphics on a solar cell part. For example, JP-A-10-308525, which is a second example of the related-art documents, discloses a method in which solar cell panels are arranged so that a two-dimensional representation pattern is formed in a mosaic manner.
Furthermore, JP-A-8-88383, which is a third example of the related-art documents, discloses a method in which the contour shape of a transparent film on the surface of a solar cell is partially varied to form characters and picture patterns on the surface.
In addition, JP-A-2004-228450, which is a fourth example of the related-art documents, discloses a method in which electrodes, semiconductor layers, and a colorant layer are formed into a shape of graphics and the like to be represented.
The methods of the second to fourth examples however cannot allow representation of minute graphics and high-definition photographs. Moreover, it is difficult in terms of costs to apply these methods to fabrication of products such as ID cards, which are fabricated on a high-mix/low-volume production basis.